As the uprising in Libya continues, we update you with the latest developments from our correspondents, news agencies and citizens across the globe.
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(All times are local in Libya GMT+2)
- Evan Hill, Al Jazeera's online producer, reporting from eastern Libya, writes:Bethan is a dusty, lonely settlement that lies several kilometres down an undulating desert highway southeast of Ajdabiya, the final outpost on the rebel front lines in eastern Libya. The main part of the village - around 100 unfinished, single-floor houses made of poured concrete - rises out of the sand without fanfare a few feet from the highway.Click here to read 'Wayside town becomes Libyan refuge'.
- US senator John McCain has been touring the Middle East and is the highest American official to have visited Libya since the start of the conflict.
McCain advocates the use of air power to prevent a humanitarian crisis in Libya, even if it means violating UN resolution 1973.
In his interview with Al Jazeera's Tony Harris, held in Doha, Qatar's capital, McCain said the only way to overpower Gaddafi is for the United States to take control from NATO.
Watch highlights from the interview below: For those joining us, here is a quick recap of events in Libya:
- The US and British defence ministers insist progress is being made in Libya. They met in Washington to discuss how to increase pressure on Gaddafi.
- The US has approved $25m in what it calls non-lethal aid for the opposition.- One of the two representatives for the rebels at the AU-Libya talks in Ethiopia said they would continue to engage with the AU to "find a solution that will lead to the aspirations of the Libyan people, including the departure of the regime".
"How can you have peace with him [Gaddafi] around? He is not a man of peace, he is a man of war and violence," Al Zubedi Abdalla, a representative of Libya's opposition, told reporters after talks with AU officials.The AU has proposed a solution that calls for an immediate cessation of hostilities followed by a transitional period and political dialogue.
The rebels rejected the plan earlier this month, saying any settlement must include the departure of Gaddafi and his sons. - British and US officials met to discuss how military pressure on Gaddafi can be increased.
Liam Fox, the British defence secretary, said some progress in Misurata was being made."We've seen some progress made in Misurata, and it's very clear that the regime is on the back foot. The sooner that Colonel Gaddafi recognises that the game is up, however, today or shortly, the better. He is a liability for his people and his country, and the sooner that he gets this message, the better." - Ibrahim Dabbashi, Lbya's former deputy ambassador to the UN, objects to being called a rebel diplomat.
According to him, Gaddafi is the rebel and he and the 14 diplomats he works with are the true loyalists, laboring for the good of the Libyan people."We want a civilized state, a democratic state," Dabbashi said in an interview with The Associated Press this week.He expects the NATO-backed opposition forces fighting against Gaddafi in Libya will prevail in a few weeks or months, "but it will not last until the end of the year". - The first oil tanker from rebel-held east Libya is expected to arrive in Singapore on Thursday, transporting 80,000 tonnes of crude oil, the port authority said.
The Liberia-registered tanker Equator left the rebel-held east Libyan port of Marsa el Hariga three weeks ago, carrying cargo vital to financing the uprising against Gaddafi. Oil exports from eastern Libya have been severely hit after facilities were shelled in the fighting. Gaddafi forces are also occupying oil installations along the coast.
Al Jazeera's Sue Turton reports from Zuetina, in eastern Libya, on the oil installations being targeted in eastern Libya:
- In the report below, Al Jazeera's Andrew Simmons walks around the now quiet Tripoli Street in the rebel stronghold of Misurata in western Libya.
The city is clear of pro-government troops, however, Gaddafi's forces continue to attack the city's main source of supplies - the port. US reporter Clare Morgana Gillis has made a second phone call home on Tuesday, her employer TheAtlantic.com said. Her first phone call home was on April 21. Her mother Jane has made an urgent appeal for her release.
Gillis was detained near Brega on April 15 and is being held in a civilian prison in the Libyan capital, Tripoli. She was detained with James Foley, a freelance reporter with GlobalPost.com, and a Spanish photographer Manu Brabo.
Al Jazeera's Nick Tosvig reports on the shortage of essential goods in Misurata.
US president Barack Obama has ordered the expenditure of up to $25m in surplus government goods to support Libya's opposition groups and protect civilians. The directive on Tuesday authorises the money to be used for non-lethal commodities and services.
These include medical supplies, uniforms, boots, tents, personal protective gear, radios and meals prepared according to Islamic tradition. The money cannot be used to assist rebel fighters in cash, weapons or ammunition.
Libya's anti-government forces are mainly a ragtag group of untrained and poorly-equipped fighters [Reuters]US and British defence secretaries have said the NATO-led campaign in Libya was heading in the right direction. Opposition supporters continue protests in Misurata as Gaddafi's troops target the city's port.
Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez said a Libyan delegation is in his country to discuss "possible peaceful solutions" to the ongoing conflict. Chavez last month said claims that Gaddafi's forces have killed civilians is "a great lie". Libyan rebels have rejected Chavez's proposal for talks.
US loosens sanctions on Libya to enable US firms to buy oil from rebel forces so that they can "use the income from oil sales to purchase weapons and other supplies". Read in full here.
US firms can now buy oil, gas and other petroleum products through Qatar Petroleum or the multinational Vitol Group as long as proceeds do not benefit Gaddafi's government.
Continuous fighting has made the supply situation worse in several cities on the frontlines [EPA]UN chief Ban Ki-Moon says the continuing imperative in Libya is to protect civilians. Below are excerpts from his remarks in New York on Tuesday:
Clearly, the Security Council’s decisive and unified action has saved many lives. It is also clear that the Libyan regime has lost both legitimacy and credibility, particularly in terms of protecting its people and addressing their legitimate aspirations for change. The Libyan people want to determine their own political future. They must be given the chance to do so.
The humanitarian situation is growing increasingly urgent. This past weekend, the United Nations established a humanitarian presence in Tripoli similar to the one in Benghazi.
Meanwhile, our diplomatic efforts focus on securing a ceasefire and achieving a political solution. On Friday, my sSpecial Envoy, Mr Al-Khatib, will travel once again to Benghazi.
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